Legal Examiner Voices

The Role of Medical Records in the PIP Process

When you call your personal injury protection (PIP) insurance company to make a claim for a car accident injury, your insurance adjuster is almost certainly going to request copies of all of your medical bills and medical records related to your injuries. While providing these documents may seem like an easy task, you might be surprised at the challenges and complications that may arise, which can then affect your ability to receive insurance benefits to cover your medical costs.

Your Medical Records Were Not Timely

Following an accident, it is all too common for people to just want to go home and rest. They may mistake pain from an injury as general soreness or stiffness and may convince themselves that it is not necessary to see a doctor or visit an urgent care or an emergency department. Days or weeks later, if the pain persists, they may go to the doctor but the medical records will be dated later than the collision.

Medical records are partially used to confirm that your injuries are the result of the car accident – and not from another subsequent event. If there is too much of a time lapse between the crash and your diagnosis, your insurer may challenge whether the accident caused your injuries.

Your Doctor Kept Incomplete Records

While you should expect a medical professional to keep thorough records, it is all too common for a doctor to forget to include certain information in your file. A doctor who keeps information in their heads or otherwise fails to record all of the details of your diagnosis and treatment can affect your ability to recover for the costs of that treatment through a PIP claim.

For tips on how to preserve your right to PIP benefits by ensuring your medical records are accurate and complete, please keep reading here.

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